


Worthy

by Misha Berry (MishaDerps)



Series: Contest Winners [15]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Introspection, Stephanie Brown is Robin, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 12:38:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15437229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MishaDerps/pseuds/Misha%20Berry
Summary: Steph contemplates her new role as Robin, and what that means for her and Tim.





	Worthy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Oruzhiye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oruzhiye/gifts).



> So this commission gave me way more trouble than I thought it would, but finally I managed to get something the winner was happy with. They originally wanted something with Bruce and Steph, but their relationship to each other is so complicated that 1k wouldn't do it justice. This came out nicely though, and I'm very happy with it.

Steph had to admit, when she started as Robin, she’d felt a little guilty over it. She knew she was taking it away from Tim, and even though he left it himself (if you could call it that), she knew it was hard for him to walk away. Steph had heard him talk about leaving Robin behind after a while, going to college and moving on with his life, but Steph knew he was full of it. Those talks of his had tapered off ages ago, and Steph could see he loved the work too much to give it up. At least not without something serious pushing him out.

She still didn’t really understand it, why Tim quit for his father. Maybe it was harder for her to grasp the concept of paternal loyalty due to her own garbage father, but her mother was just as adamant that she stop being a vigilante, and Steph still didn't listen to her even though she loved her mother. She’d never give up being a hero, not for the whole world.

The first few months were hard; Bruce didn't pull his punches and he expected the best, so Steph was left scrambling to keep up. Tim had made it seem so effortless sometimes, but Steph found herself struggling to keep her head above the water. She’d do it though, if only to prove to everyone that she  _ could _ ; Bruce, Tim, her father,  _ herself _ , she’d prove to everyone that she could run with the best.

“How have you been holding up?” Tim whispered, leaning out his window so he could talk to Steph.

“I’m alright,” Steph whispered back, perched on the side of Tim’s house. She didn’t want to get him in trouble with his dad. “Batman sure does make you work hard though. I never really realized how much work you have to do.”

Tim smiled. “It gets easier,” he said, “I remember the first few months. You go to bed each night feeling like you want to die.”

“God, do I ever,” Steph groaned, smiling back. “At least the toys make up for it,” she said, twirling her shiny new grappling gun around in her hand.

Tim laughed. “They’re pretty fun,” he said, his smile taking on a pained edge. “I really miss it.”

Guilt curled like an angry snake in Steph’s stomach, but she kept silent. She could see the jealousy in Tim’s eyes, the anger and pain and hurt. She knew he wasn't mad at  _ her _ per say, but she was the most convenient receptacle for his emotions at the moment. It wasn't fair, on either of them, but Steph understood.

“I should go,” Steph said, “Batman will be expecting me and I don’t want to get you in trouble with your dad.”

“Yeah,” Tim said quietly. They stretched for a quick kiss, then Steph lept from the side of the house, leaving Tim to watch her swing away forlornly. Steph saw him finally pull away from the window and shut it with more force than he probably needed.

As much as the guilt ate at her, Steph couldn't help but feel  _ amazing _ as Robin. It was like her whole being had been leading up to something like this, like the universe had finally aligned into the perfect position. Steph was  _ Robin _ , the right hand to Batman; the feeling of guilt was drowned out by the feelings of elation, purpose,  _ validation _ . Any thought that maybe she should have passed up on Robin for Tim’s sake was drowned out when she swung through the air and landed on a criminal’s back, Batman at her back. She felt bad for Tim, but not  _ that _ bad.

“No no, I’m really glad you took it,” Tim said to her one evening weeks later. “I’d rather it was you than someone I don't know.”

“Are you sure?” Steph asked. They were out as regular civilians, just two teenagers on a date. “I know it’s been rough on you.”

Tim waved a hand dismissively. “I’m fine. I haven’t gotten so much sleep in ages,” he lied, the bags under his eyes giving him away. “Really, I’m happy for you.”

This, Steph could tell, Tim actually meant. She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Thanks Tim, that means a lot to me.”

Tim smiled and squeezed her hand. “You’re doing really good work Steph. I can see that.”

Steph smiled back. “Yeah, if only the others could see that,” she said with a snort.

“Others?” Tim asked.

“Your friends. The Titans,” Steph said, stirring her drink with her straw. “They really don’t seem to like me. Especially that Superboy. I can’t believe I used to have his poster.”

Tim laughed. “Yeah, sorry. They can be protective. He actually showed up at my house a while back. Superboy, I mean.”

“Yeah?” Steph raised an eyebrow. “How did your dad take that?”

“He didn't see him,” Tim said, and something dark flitting across his eyes. “Dad would have freaked out if he saw Superboy. No, he just came to ask me why I wasn't Robin anymore. Said he ran into you and had to know what was going on.”

“I remember that,” Steph said, “He said I wasn't welcome as a Titan.” Which was just  _ fine _ with her, she didn’t need to be a part of their dumb club.

“They’re just worried about me,” Tim said, “They’ll come around eventually. Once they get to know you, they’ll love just as much as I do.”

Steph smiled. “I’ll be a busy girl if that happens. I can only have so many boyfriends and girlfriends,” she teased.

“Shut up, you know what I meant,” Tim said, but he was laughing too.

So Steph was slowly getting better at being Robin. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn’t easy, on her or the people she loved, but she was doing it, hell or high water she was doing it. Steph was going to prove, to the whole world if she had to, that was worthy of the mantle of Robin.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Check out my [tumblr](https://mishaberrywrites.tumblr.com) for more of my work.


End file.
